A New Beginning
by Tsune-Chan
Summary: What if you had the choice of changing a life? What cost do you think you will have to pay? Our favorite Copy-Nin figures this out, along with what it feels like to lose a loved one...KakashixOC AU  Workin on a Sequel
1. New Girl in Town

_A loud crash can be heard in the room. You take a peek inside and notice that a female is fighting with the famed Copy-Nin of Konohagakure. They stop for a moment to quickly chant out: **Meep does not own any original Naruto Characters or Jutsu.** They quickly continue to fight, arguing over who's turn it is to pick up the kids from school...._

_On to our story....  
_

_If you had the choice of choosing your life, would you pick the best out of everything? If you had choice to choose your family, would you pick the rich snobby people or the poor humble people? If you had the chance to change a life, would you?  
_

"It's a girl!"

There had been much bubbling over the new girl of the Takatsu family. They were the wealthiest family in the city. Takatsu Aro owned the largest law firm in the world. Takatsu Mika owned the biggest and largest international business known to mankind. Now a new little one was in the family and she had no choice in what she wanted to do in the world. She was going to control the most famous channel on TV, whether she wanted to or not. That decision was made before she was even conceived.

**That was 18 years ago.**

"Mother, tell me again why you are forcing me to do what I don't like to do?"

Takatsu Tsune hated television. She just wanted to run outdoors, climb trees, and play football. Sadly, her parents had other plans.

"Because you will rule the television world, which in turn will let the Takatsu family rule the world."

The idea was out of the nutshell. After asking countless times for years, she knew the reason for her studies. It disgusted her. "Is that all you care about? Being the most influential family in the world? Does it not matter that I have other plans for my life?" Tsune wanted to open up a karate/tae kwon do/judo center. She would employ the best in the world to train her pupils.

"To answer in complete order, that's all we care about, see previous answer, and no, it doesn't matter. Now you get your rumpus to that television studio and we'll see you tomorrow." Mika walked off, gracefully, to the foyer to join her husband.

That was the latest bright idea from her parents. Tsune was to stay overnight at a television studio that her father represented to study every single component they offered. She wanted to stay overnight in the woods hunting foxes. Her father said that if she didn't go, her daily allowance equal to $500 would be diminished. She sighed and picked up her overnight bag. The plan was for Jones to take her to the studio, drop her off, and head back home. No detours.

While in the car, Tsune begged and pleaded to not have to go. "Come on, Jones! You know I hate television, why make me go?" He winced, but didn't budge. Her father had played the "or else you're fired" card on Jones. His job was more important than being yelled at by Tsune. As they pulled into the parking lot for _Dreams do Come True TV_, Tsune made a gagging noise. Jones checked the rearview mirror to see Tsune doing an inappropriate sign to the building.

"Now you know I don't take none of that, young lady!" Jones yelled.

"Yes sir, I'm sorry sir." Jones may have been her butler, but he was more of a father to her than her biological one. He raised her when her parents were off deciding her future. He smiled and announced that they were there. The door to the limousine opened to reveal a several people. They all were her age, maybe a year younger. One male had blond ruffled hair, but on him it looked natural. He had blue eyes that were full of excitement and anxiety. Another male had raven hair that cascaded around his head. His black eyes revealed nothing and yet everything. Off to the side was a girl with pink dyed hair. Tsune gave her the "raised eyebrow look" while noticing her eyes were green.

"Welcome to _Dreams do come true TV_ Takatsu-Sama." An older male appeared from behind the teenage trio. His silver hair was aloof on his head. His brown eyes gave everything away about him. He was a good guy, for now. Tsune scoffed.

"I don't want to be here, so let's make this tour quick so I don't have to spend the night here." Tsune stood and bowed to Jones. Jones smiled and went to get Tsune's bags.

"Alright…let me introduce you to my employees. The blond eccentric one is our newest addition. He's Uzumaki Naruto and he's in charge of looking over letters and finding out which person deserves a spot on our show." Naruto stepped forward and bowed. Tsune sighed and waved him away. _At least she's hot…,_ Naruto thought backing up to his spot.

"The pink female is Haruno Sakura. She's in charge of design and casting." Sakura came forward and bowed shyly. Tsune sighed again, but this time smiled afterwards. She liked this one. _What a forced smiled,_ Sakura thought standing next to Naruto.

"Lastly is our vice president and executive producer, Uchiha Sasuke." Sasuke came forward and bowed grudgingly. Tsune smirked and turned to the older male.

"And who might you be?" Sasuke's composure almost dropped along with his jaw. _She didn't even look at me,_ he thought.

"I'm Hatake Kakashi. You should know me. I'm always at your house on Fridays." Kakashi bowed. Tsune sighed and nodded.

"I should know, but I'm usually outside biking, hiking, or training. As you all know, I'm Takatsu Tsune. Pleased to meet all of you, but not really. I don't want to be here, don't care to be here, and so don't try to make this into some party."

Naruto leaned over to Sakura and whispered, "She's got some spice." Sakura elbowed him in the side hard. Sasuke rolled his eyes. Naruto was in a world of pain tonight if he kept that up.

"Let's get started. It's only 5 o' clock so we have a few hours before it's time to close shop. After we close up we'll all get into our pajamas and…"

"Wait!" Tsune yelled. They all stared at her, including Jones. "You mean I'm stuck here all night with you guys?"

"That was the plan, Takatsu-sama." Kakashi didn't understand. Tsune wanted to ditch the place for the night and look it up later on using the internet. Her parents wouldn't know the difference. Now she had to stay.

"Just call me Tsune-san. I'm not some famous priceless package to be handled with care." Tsune took her bags from Jones and waited for the butler to depart. "Don't worry, Jones. I'm in the best of care!" She mumbled out a "not" when the butler drove off.

"I heard that Tsune-san. Don't think we're here for fun and games. Our representation is on the line." Sakura stated. Tsune glanced Sakura's way and gave her a death glare. The rich and famous always had one which always worked. Sakura began to feel uncomfortable and shifted her gaze from Tsune's hard eyes to the pavement.

"Let's get started, shall we?" Kakashi moved to take Tsune's bags, but she pulled them away. Kakashi gave her a confused look. _What's her problem? Does she thing we'll break her precious items?_

"We shan't. I don't really care for a tour Hatake-san. I rather go in the woods and train. You're welcome to join me, but first I must change. Naruto-kun, can you show me to the bathrooms?" The teenage trio and Kakashi's jaw dropped. The girl was blatantly defying her parent's wishes.

"Um, sure, but wouldn't you rather take the tour?"

"If you had the chance to change your life for the better, would you?"

Naruto was confused. "My life is great!" He gave her an awkward smile.

"Then my decision is great. Let's go." She walked up to the front doors and went in, leaving her bags outside. The four employees looked on the tag of the bags. "Open at your own risk. No guarantees of survival." They gulped and followed the girl inside. Naruto couldn't resist and had to look inside. The bag was full of training mechanisms and other useless things. He almost fainted from the smell of blood. He looked around to find bloody training gloves, with blood that was a of couple days fresh.

Tsune came out of the bathroom in a short pair of shorts, a tank top, and gloves on her hands. They all were an array of shades of orange. The men's eyes popped out of their sockets.

"What?"

"Nothing, nothing at all... It's just that you look very nice." Naruto stammered out covering his nose, a hint of red dribbling out between his fingers. Tsune and Sakura shook their heads. They smiled at each other.

"Hey, Sakura-chan, I'm having a party celebrating my freedom from the folks this Saturday. You want to come?"

Sakura, overjoyed, nodded furiously. "Can Sasuke-kun and Naruto-kun come?"

"Sure, I'm trying to get as many people as possible. The more the merrier. Invite your friends as well. Just try not to crowd the place…" Tsune went over to the front double doors. "If you need me, I'll be in the nearby forest, training." She went out, picking up her bags. _They went through it,_ She thought.

"Ok, what was that about?" Kakashi asked.

"She's trying to make us soft so she can do what she wants." Sasuke answered. He knew what was going on, 'cause he had done it before himself. His father was out of the country doing whatever it is television CEOs do, but that's what he was doing.

"Really, I thought she liked me." Sakura sulked.

Naruto hurried to her side. "Don't worry Sakura-chan. I like you!" Naruto gave her a side hug. Sakura growled and Naruto backed away slowly.

"Well, someone needs to keep an eye on her." Sasuke murmured. The girl was annoying, the exact same way his older brother saw him. He knew that she was eighteen while he was nineteen. Sakura was eighteen and Naruto was seventeen. Kakashi was around his mid twenties. No one knew Kakashi's real age, not even his father.

"I'll go. If all else fails, I can probably knock some sense into her." Kakashi followed Tsune out the door. Naruto rushed up and opened the door. "You're not allowed to hit her!" He yelled out. Sakura came over and punched him on the head, making him thump to the ground.

Kakashi looked into the dark forest that loomed ahead of him. He wasn't scared for himself, but for Tsune. His job was on the line, along with his company that his father started. If push came to shove, he'd take a bullet for the girl if it meant saving his job and his company. He heard the sound of yelping in pain and whimpering. He crept closer to the sound, conscious of how loud the noise was getting as he got closer. He stopped advancing when he spotted Tsune on the ground wrapping her knuckles.

"If only trees were made of something softer than wood, then it'd be a snap to train. Sadly, they aren't." She finished her bandaging. She began to punch and kick at the tree. Every hit left a deeper hole in the tree. Kakashi turned pale and started sweating. _She's just like Lee and Gai. This girl could kill us if she wanted to, using just her body._ He didn't notice that she had stopped.

"I know you're there, and if you don't come out…you just might want to come out." Tsune went into her fighting stance and watched the area around her. Her ears took notice of any unnatural sounds.

"It's me, Tsune-san. Hatake Kakashi." He stepped forward and bowed.

"Hatake –san, Stop bowing to me; I'm not some queen. I'm just the average girl." She shrugged and went back to training.

"Average girl, huh? You're "average girl"-ness could cost the four of us our jobs, including my company. Are you so average now?" Kakashi smirked, leaned against a tree, and crossed his arms.

"Yup." Tsune answered. Kakashi fell over.

"Alright then! I'll just go tell everyone that this was a waste and we can go home." Kakashi started for the building when felt something wrapping itself around him. He toppled over. "What the heck is this?"

"It's called a bolo in Australia, I think. I just didn't want you blabbering that I thought this was a waste. It really is. I don't care for television. I care for outdoors."

Kakashi's eyes widened and he almost blew his, Sakura's, Naruto's, and Sasuke's secret. He had to keep his mouth shut. "What's funny is you don't seem like the outdoorsy type…"

"And you don't seem to understand I don't seem like any type. Especially the couch potato type." She dug her fingers farther in her hand and punched the tree. "I suggest you move over three inches before you get squashed."

"Huh?" Kakashi's eyes widened when he heard a strange crackling noise. He rolled over just a few seconds before the tree fell. A couple branches lay on top of him, successfully keeping him married to the ground. "Oh, you think you're tough?....Tsune-san?....Tsune-san, are you still there?...Tsune!" Kakashi was on his own. He could blow his cover, but that would blow everyone's cover. He sighed and reached for the little bag under his coat.

Tsune returned to the building. Naruto and Sakura gazed at her appearance. Tsune didn't know that she had dirt caked on her face, her hair was standing up in several places, and one of the straps on her tank top was cleanly cut off.

"Stop staring, it's rude." Tsune lazily pulled on an orange hoodie, yawned and crashed on the waiting room couch. "If you need me, wait ten hours." She snoozed off.

Sakura walked over and reached to poke Tsune. She yelped when Tsune grabbed her wrist a few centimeters from her face. Sasuke rushed over and knelt down to Tsune.

"She's asleep still." He whispered.

"No dip, Sherlock! What told you that, the snoring or the incoherent mumblings?" Naruto whispered sarcastically. Sasuke glared at him and gently pried open Tsune's hand. Sakura snatched her wrist away, rubbing it.

"That girl has a hard grip. If she wasn't from this dimension, I'd swear she was from ours."

"The funny thing is there was a rumor going around before we left about a weakened demon that had crossed the dimensions. It sealed itself in a child's body while the parents were out of earshot. If all else failed, I bet this is the girl." Sasuke whispered.

"Only Kakashi-sensei would know about that sort of thing. Let's ask him when he gets back." Sakura stated, smirking at her intelligence.

"Ask me what?" Kakashi stepped forward from the shadows. They told them exactly what happened, what Sasuke said, and what they thought about Tsune. "It is possible; I mean she is a less than normal 18-year-old. D'You want to know what she was doing when I went out to get her?"

They thought it was a rhetorical question. After several minutes, Kakashi sighed. "No, don't guess. I'll just tell you. She was training."

"For what?" Naruto asked.

"She didn't say. But she trains like Lee. From what I saw, she does that to let off steam. It's a pretty good idea, but she's got too much steam. She punched a tree. For a second, nothing happened. But I had to roll around to not get crushed. First there was crackling and that's when I moved."

"Why did you roll?" Sasuke asked. _Sounds kind of fishy to me…_

"Did I mention she tied me using some weird weighted string she called a bolo? She's a ninja at heart, whether she knows it or not. We should introduce her to…"

"No way. This is first time she ever let me cross dimensions, I am **not** going to mess this one up. Kakashi-sensei, love you man, but this isn't going to work. You are not taking Tsune-san to meet Tsunade-sama. **NO!**" Naruto yelled.

The others looked over at Tsune, who waved them away and turned over in the couch. "Shut up, dobe. If Tsune-san overhears us, we're doomed. We'd have to kill her."

"Like…never mind. We're not killing anybody. If she hears, we're taking her to Kono…"

"Don't say it!" Naruto hissed as quietly as audibly possible. Sakura yawned.

"I don't care who hears anything. If I don't get to go to sleep, we're going to fight to the death in the morning. Shut up or face the wrath." They all quickly left Sakura alone. After Naruto came back from training, found Sasuke, and reacquainted himself with Konoha, they all by then had met the wrath of Sakura. It was not a pretty sight.

"Night!" The boys stammered out scared out of their wits. "Don't let the bed bug…"

"**Shut it!**" Sakura yelled from her office. It was full of the color and shades of pink and red. She laid back in her couch and soon fell to sleep. The boys shrugged and went to sleep themselves. _Nothing bad could happen tonight, right? Tsune-san's asleep, Sakura-chan's out cold, and one of the others will guard the door. Nothing can go wrong._ Sadly, each boy/man was thinking the same about someone else. How wrong could they be?

Tsune's stomach growled and roused her from her sleep. She stretched and yawned. When she opened her eyes, Kakashi was in the corner of the room. He was in a position showing that he had been watching her, but dozed off. Sasuke was leaning against the front door, trying to guard it she guessed. Naruto, the weird eccentric one, was leaning against the wall knocked out. He had a few bruises on him. _I don't even want to wake him up to ask…I'm hungry!_ She looked in a few rooms, but there was no lounge. _What kind of office has no lounge for the employees_? She thought as she came across a door. Hanging from a thumbtack was the sign "Do **not** enter." Tsune looked around and slightly opened the door. It was dark inside and she felt for a light switch. Instead she hit a wall. She poked her head in to see absolutely nothing. _How weird..._

"Hello? Kakashi, is that you?" A noise came from down the way. Tsune slammed the door shut. It was a woman and she thought that Tsune was Kakashi. She was mad and Tsune had no where to run. She dashed for her bag and pulled out her heaviest weights. She would throw them at her if the door opened. It opened alright, but instead of opening that horror movie kind of slow, it swung open.

"Hatake Kakashi, if you don't wake your sorry butt up, I'll wake it up for you!" The busty woman hollered. Tsune heard stirring behind her.

"Hokage-Sama, can't this wait 'til morning? I'm tired…" Kakashi sighed. Kakashi's ears twitched and he scrambled to get into a hiding position. Tsune heard stomps and things breaking.

"Hatake Kakashi, no this can not wait until morning. Someone else has…opened…the…door." The busty woman stopped marching and stared at Tsune. "Let me guess, you opened the door?"

"Yes…are you going to kill me?" Tsune whimpered.

"Not unless you've harmed one of my shinobi, then no."

"Shinobi? I thought that those were only in the movies. What's going on? Kakashi!" Tsune hollered. Kakashi twitched and didn't move. His life depended on that he didn't move.

"Wait a minute. Kakashi, this isn't the night you have to baby-sit the rich brat, is it?"

A tiny mumble of a yes was heard. As Tsune glared at the busty woman, she let out a long sigh. "This is going to get complicated now. If I take you away, our cover is blown. If I don't take you away, our cover is blown. What do I do?"

A yawn near the door answered. "Kill her. The worst that happens is that this place gets shut down." Sasuke patted his mouth and stretched. Tsune growled and stomped over to where Sasuke was sitting. "What?" Sasuke didn't know what hit him. By the time Tsune was done with him, Sasuke was begging for mercy. Kakashi and Tsunade almost exploded from trying to hold in their laughter.

"Anyway, what does this door mean? Who the heck are your shinobi? And why does it matter who I am?" Tsune asked.

"Isn't it weird how her name means 'normalcy' and yet she is far from it?" Kakashi asked.

"I know. I think we should introduce her to our dimension."

Tsune looked from Kakashi to Tsunade. "Answer my questions. I demand you answer them." She stomped her foot. Unknown to the people in the lobby, Sakura was waking up.

"I'll tell you what I feel like telling you. All I'm going to tell you is to shut your yap before I shut it for you!" Tsunade raised her voice. It was quiet for a moment before they heard it. At first it was a low rumble, but it grew louder. The pictures on the walls were shaking and the people could barely stand up.

"I thought I told you all to **keep quiet**!" Sakura blasted. Her voice alone caused the three of them to slam against the wall. Sasuke had to cling to the couch. Naruto awoke to three very heavy large objects crashing into him.

"Whmm mmm mmm?!" Naruto mumbled out. (Translation: what the heck?!)

"I thought I told you all to…oh hello Sensei!" Sakura calmed down immediately. Naruto shoved Kakashi, Tsune, and Tsunade off of him. Sasuke was sprawled against the couch clinging on for dear life.

Tsune stood and looked at all of them. "I have no idea who you guys are, but you aren't from this world. I hope you have fun doing whatever it is you do. Goodbye." She ran out the supposed-to-be locked door. The dark scared her, always had, but she pressed on forward. If she had to face the dark to get away, she'd face the…Tsune tripped and she used her arms to break her fall. As she curled up, nursing her aching arms. She heard the sounds of footsteps. Tsune had always dreamed of someone killing her in a dark tunnel and that no one would even care if she died. She curled herself in a tight ball and started to cry. She felt someone pick her up and hold her close. She opened her eyes, but they didn't adjust. She snuggled up in the arms of whoever it was. As her rescuer walked softly and hummed a soft tune, the rhythm of the song and the light bounce of his steps put her to sleep.

Kakashi looked down at Tsune. Although she was a spoiled brat, she really was pretty. Her dark short hair caressed her face. He noticed that she had fallen asleep when she looked so peaceful. She probably didn't know that her eyes couldn't adjust to the darkness because she wasn't from his dimension. If he ever married and had children, he'd want one this pretty. If he wasn't almost 28, he'd ask her out on a date. Sadly, he was a decade her senior. He walked into the studio lobby and immediately stopped humming his favorite tune.

"So, was she ok?" Sakura asked with a hint of worry.

Kakashi sighed. "Yeah, but she was crying. I suspect she's afraid of the dark."

"What was your first clue, her clinging to you or the crying bit?" Sasuke scoffed. He noticed that when Kakashi came in, he was humming a tune. He wanted to know what song and why. Kakashi belonged to Sasuke and no one else!

"We have to take her to Konohagakure, and soon. She's seen too much already. Kakashi, you are in charge of training her. I'll come up with some excuse for her parents, but you better keep her alive." Tsunade walked off into the darkness behind the door.

"Good luck Kakashi-sensei!" Sakura yelled, skipping off after Tsunade laughing maniacally.

"Right, I'm off to go train. Try not to kill her Kakashi-sensei." Naruto said, yelling after Sakura.

Kakashi looked at the sleeping girl in his arms and then to Sasuke. Sasuke glared at him. "I'm not helping you. Have fun being a babysitter. Try not to get too bored." Sasuke also walked into the darkness.

"Kakashi-san…"

Kakashi looked down again at Tsune. She curled up tighter against him. He sighed and locked the door behind him this time. Besides, one day in his time was one minute in hers….

Tsune's eyes fluttered open as she awoke to the softness and warmth of a bed. She turned over and tried to go back to sleep, but her tries were in vain. She got up and stared out the window. She rubbed her bandaged arms, absently wondering who did them. Outside the window, it was night and the city looked beautiful. But wait, she thought, these buildings weren't there when I was at the studio. In fact, they didn't even look like the buildings she was used to. The people didn't wear the clothes she was used to either. She took a step back and took short quick breaths. She almost passed out. Finally she took one deep breath and screamed.

Kakashi was passed out on the floor when he heard Tsune's scream. He jumped up, kunai in his hand, ready to fight off whatever attacked. Instead he came across a frantic Tsune tearing apart his home.

"Where am I? Why am I here? I was kidnapped! **Help!**" She tripped over her own feet and started for the front door. Kakashi scrambled to get there first. He grabbed her and tried to calm her down. He whispered that it would be ok while she squirmed in his arms.

"You'll get through this, just relax." Kakashi tried soothing her. Eventually she calmed down enough so that he could put her back in the bed. He tucked her in while she mumbled incoherent mumblings. He took it as a sign that she was on her way to sleep. Kakashi started to hum a tune that sounded familiar to Tsune. She dozed off in the instant. The last thought she had was _Kakashi was my rescuer…_

While Tsune was out, Kakashi was taking a nice long hot shower. After all the things this girl had put him through, he needed it. When he finished up, he stepped out of the shower and into the hallway. The cold instantly put goosebumps on his skin, but he liked the feelings. It gave him a tingling sensation. He sneaked into his room and grabbed his clothes. He looked over at the supposedly sleeping lump in his bed. He was happy that she was peacefully at rest and he could go about his business. He went back into the bathroom and for the first time in his life, he didn't notice his surroundings. He heard the sound of someone crying in the bathroom. At first, he didn't know where it came from. It sounded from all around him. He took a step towards the shower/tub. The crying sounded strongest there. He pulled back the curtain to reveal a different looking Tsune.

Her eyes were no longer was the moss green that made her face so pretty, but a dark crimson that made blood pale in comparison. Her nails were longer and sharper, drawing blood as she held herself. Her canines had grown and also became sharper. Kakashi had seen Naruto when he transformed, but he never looked this bad. Tsune was mumbling something, but he couldn't make it out. He leaned forward to try and soothe her, but she lashed out at him.

"Stay away, for I am cursed." This voice was nothing like the Tsune he met before. Then her voice changed. "Kakashi-san, stay away! The darkness, it's so overwhelming!" Kakashi knew that this was the Tsune he knew.

"What do you mean, Tsune-san?"

The deeper voice chuckled. "Sadly, I am not Tsune. I'm just trapped in this doomed body until I find a way to get out. When I do, you'll all wish you were never born to be able to feel my wrath." All of a sudden a loud scream came out from Tsune. She started to scratched her arms, but she was crying for herself to stop. Kakashi didn't get it. He rushed in to stop her, but instead she started attacking him. He immediately started humming the tune that put her to sleep.

Her eyes slowly faded back into the moss green it was before. Her nails and canines shrunk back to their normal sizes. Tsune was whimpering still, the blood from her arms flowing freely. Kakashi stroked her hair and held her close to him. He turned the water on lukewarm and washed the blood from her arms, disregarding the fact he was getting drenched again. There were scars on her arms that looked recent and old. He'd have to tell Tsunade that. Tsune yelped when the lukewarm water rushed over her, but she calmed down.

"Kakashi-san, promise me that you'll never tell anyone about this. I've been struggling with this ever since I turned eighteen." Tsune choked on her words and she had to force them out.

"Tsune, I have to tell someone. The thing in you is…" Kakashi couldn't finish. Instead, he picked up his shampoo and began to wash her hair. He didn't know why, but he felt as if she needed it. Kakashi's fingers massaging her scalp calmed her down even more, to the point where she stopped whimpering. Kakashi sighed and washed out the soap. He turned off the water and picked her up out of the shower/tub. When he tried to retuck her in, she clung to him desperately.

"Don't leave me alone! Please…" Her eyes were glossy. Kakashi sat on the bed next to her. He waited until she feel asleep before he began to stroke her hair. It troubled him that she had to go through such things because she had a demon in her. He watched her toss and turn all night, calming her down when she awoke crying. She was like a little child, constantly needing comfort. When the sun was just peeking over the horizon and Tsune had finally been peacefully asleep for more than three hours, a knock was heard at the door. Kakashi almost didn't get it because he didn't want to leave Tsune.

"Kakashi, it's me Tsunade. We might have some trouble with the rich brat of yours." She sounded exasperated and as tired as he was. He reluctantly let her in and made her tea, which she hated.

"What about her?" It took him all of his energy to not doze off on the table. He hadn't slept in three days, including the one he just lost with Tsune.

"That demon inside her, is no ordinary demon. It sealed itself in her." Tsunade trailed off, lost in her tea.

"And that matters why?"

"Kakashi, what demon do you know of that seals itself in a host? None, I presume. Also, I read up on how it would have to be able to come out. Its host has to be dead and the seal is broken. Also, this demon is stronger than the kitsune and the other 8 tails put together. If it gets out, then…"

Kakashi figured it all out. "We might as well give up on trying to stop it. And when Tsune is old and dies, we'll either have to protect her city or save our village. Either one we choose, countless people are going to die."

"Exactly my point of you coming here. I planned on making her a shinobi, just because of the skills I can notice already, but I'm not entirely sure now. If we could get Jiraiya to strengthen the seal on her, if we find it, then we wouldn't have anything to worry about." Tsunade once again was lost in her tea.

"What do I have to do and how long do I have?" Kakashi was used to this kind of treatment.

"You have to find that seal because both our dimensions are at stake. You have exactly three years to find it. I suspect on her 21st birthday the seal will be weak enough so that the demon could take full control of her body long enough to kill her." Tsunade stood and downed the tea, though gagging as she finished it. "Start now." She left as unexpectedly as she arrived.

"Kakashi…" Tsune whimpered. "Where are you?" Her voice was frantic and yet soft. Kakashi almost didn't hear it.

"I'm in the kitchen, don't worry, I didn't leave you." Tsune came ou,t hair up in all places and dragging the blanket behind her. Kakashi had to restrain himself from mentally saying "Aww!" She looked so adorable, despite the tear stains on her cheeks. That would be very out of character for him.

"Don't tell anyone, alright? I can handle this. I've handled it for almost three months, I can handle it for the rest of my life…" Her voice trailed off when she spotted the tea. Kakashi waved his approval and she quickly poured her some. She gulped it down and relaxed. "Thank you, Kakashi-san."

"For what?"

"For being there with me. When it all started three months ago, no one was with me. I almost died from the pain I caused myself."

Kakashi twitched when she said she "almost died". Tsune gave him a Look and went back to downing her tea. He asked her many questions, none of which she answered. Birthmarks, scars, weird skin defects, anything that could possible be a seal. She didn't recall anything. He banged his head against the table and sighed in defeat. This was going to be harder than he thought…

Sasuke awoke with the feeling of betrayal. He quickly got dressed and ran over to Kakashi's. Although Konoha hadn't seen him in years, they welcomed him with open arms. He wasn't a liability for he had killed his brother, his brothers' lackey, and had finally been able to satisfy his life goal. They were a little frightened of him, but that had dwindled down after the big fight between him and Naruto. Obviously, he lost.

Sasuke knocked softly on Kakashi's door. No one answered. He knew that breaking and entering was a crime, but he had to know what had happened during the night. Kakashi was his comforter, his father figure, and he wasn't going to give that up for anything. Not for some alien girl from another dimension. He pushed open the door. No one was home as he observed. Kakashi's blanket was sprawled on the floor in what looks like a pallet. There was tea cups on the table, some tea left in them. That's when he heard it.

"Kakashi, come on stop it!" Sasuke heard Tsune laughing and giggling. Sasuke didn't make a sound nor did he dare move.

"Look, you need to get in that shower whether you like it or not. Now get in there, or else I'll make sure you take that shower." Kakashi's voice was stern and forced. He was laughing on the inside. Kakashi was trying to push Tsune into the shower while Tsune was trying to get him to back off.

"I'm fine. Honest!" Tsune voiced her defense.

"You took too long, I'm getting you in that shower."

Sasuke waited a few moments. There was the sound of the shower starting and high pitched yelps. Then he heard a splash.

"Now look what you've done…"Kakashi trailed off. He was soaking wet. Tsune had accidentally slipped and fell into the shower, taking Kakashi with her.

"Lighten up, Kashi. The world isn't coming to the end. You aren't going to melt, are you?" Tsune teased.

"You never know…" Kakashi played along. "Now take that shower, or you really will reap the consequences." He stood and grabbed a towel.

Right before Kakashi closed the door Tsune yelled out, "I'm shaking in my birthday suit!" She laughed hysterically as Kakashi stiffened. He hadn't really meant to forcible undress the girl, but she wouldn't take a damn shower for anything.

He pushed the images out of his head and relaxed. Kakashi walked out into the living room, drying his face off. He'd change after Tsune got out. Sasuke tried to remain hidden as long as possible. Kakashi sensed a hint of chakra trying to disguise itself. He sighed and sat on the couch trying to determine who was hanging around his house at this ungodly hour. He smirked when he had his answer.

"Sasuke, stop trying. You've lost your touch of trying to hide from me."

Sasuke jumped down from the ceiling. "Took you long enough."

"I was waiting to see if you'd reveal yourself before I had to get you." Kakashi lied through his teeth. "Did you hear…?" Kakashi nodded his head towards the bathroom. Tsune was singing the tune Kakashi had sung for her when she transformed. Somehow, it always made her relax when she was stressed.

Sasuke sighed and folded his arms. "Yes, I did. Did you see her…you know."

"No, but she needed to get in the shower. I'm not some pedophile. I'd never even dream…" Kakashi sentence stopped short when glanced back at the bathroom. The singing had stopped. He took in a sharp breath hoping that she wasn't transforming. Sasuke gave him a weird look and glanced also. Sasuke waved his hand in front of Kakashi.

"Yo, Kakashi-sensei? Are you alright?" Sasuke was kind of worried, but he didn't show it.

Kakashi snapped out of his trance. "Ya, I'm good. Nothing bad happening at the moment. I was just wondering what kind of training I'd have to do with Tsu-chan to get her ready to be a shinobi." He lied again.

"Well, I could help. I mean, we all could help. Sakura could teach her chakra control and genjutsu, Naruto could teach her ninjutsu and the elemental based jutsu, and I could teach her more advanced ninjutsu and taijutsu. It all works out. All you have to do is make sure she doesn't die from exhaustion."

Kakashi thought it over. He'd be able to do side missions that'd help raise money to keep the two of them alive. His pupils/comrades could look after her and make sure that nothing bad happened. It was a deal. The two of them talked it over for about an hour. Sasuke couldn't help noticing that Kakashi's mind was on something else. Like Sasuke suspected, it was. Kakashi hadn't heard Tsune start singing again.

"Alright then Kakashi, I'm off. Try not to develop pedophilic symptoms." Kakashi punched Sasuke in the arm and escorted him out the door. As soon as he couldn't sense Sasuke's chakra he dashed towards the bathroom. He couldn't hear any crying or whimpering, but he didn't hear anything but the shower. He knocked on the door.

"Yes?" Tsune's voice staggered a bit, but she sounded ok. Kakashi wasn't taking chances though.

"Are you alright? You didn't get hurt, right?" Kakashi put his hand on the doorknob just in case.

"I'm fine, just a little overwhelmed. The other side of me came out for a bit because I had gotten to a really powerful part of that tune you sing. Then I just stopped singing." Tsune's voice was garbled over the shower water, but Kakashi got the gist of it.

"So, do you need anything?" Kakashi was trying his hardest not to tell her it wasn't her but a demon.

"Can you get me some wraps for my hands?" Tsune didn't want to tell Kakashi the whole truth. The other side of her had brutally come out and cut up her legs, arms, and hands. She'd just have to fake being sick today.

"Sure." Kakashi looked around, but couldn't find any. "I'll go out and get some. I'll have someone watch over you and make sure nothing happens." Kakashi couldn't believe who he had in mind, but he only knew of one person who had the strength and the wit to handle someone like Tsune. He went off in search of his "eternal rival".

Tsune stepped out of the bathroom as soon as Kakashi had closed the door. She found the bag of clothes that Sakura had left for her while she slept. Luckily, they were from her dimension. It was a moss green shirt with a black vest. Sakura had given her flexible black pants and black shoes. She was on her own for the hair. Tsune washed it, cut it, and manhandled it until she felt like she had done enough. When she finished, she looked in the mirror. Her handiwork looked marvelous: her dark hair was cut just long enough to reach her jaw line and scrunched up to appear to be wavy. When it had finally dried she combed it out with Kakashi's comb, praying he didn't have lice. She sat down on the couch exhausted.

Tsune was almost asleep when the door blasted open. "Hello! I am Maito Gai!"

Kakashi knew that it was a stupid move on his part leaving Tsune with Gai. By the time he got home, Gai was probably going to in little pieces being devoured by the demon within Tsune. He almost didn't want to open the door. He heard a loud crash come from inside. He threw open the door and stood in the midst of a battlefield.

"Come on Gai-sensei. You're supposed to be a taijutsu master!" Tsune had several bruises on her, but not as many as Gai. He was pretty bloodied up. He was struggling to stand. Kakashi almost fainted in astonishment.

"Well, Tsune-chan, I may be a taijutsu master, but everything comes natural for you!" Gai leapt forward with a kick, but Tsune moved too fast for him. She elbowed him in the stomach, kicked him down to the ground, and put her foot right in front of his face.

"You were first on the ground. I win." Tsune helped Gai up.

"As agreed, I will buy you the needed ninja supplies fit for a proper shinobi. Are you sure you don't want a green training suit?"

Neither of them noticed Kakashi just staring there gaping at the two of them discussing what was the definition of "proper ninja supplies". He ran over and looked over Tsune. Gai and Tsune just looked at each other and then to Kakashi.

"Kashi, are you alright? I mean, you are kind of poking bruises…" Tsune winced.

"Yes, Kakashi, why are you poking bruises?" Gai asked.

Kakashi stood up quick. "Um, no reason. I just, um, felt like it. Here are the bandages Tsune, though I'm sure Gai has some already, you can share with him. No more fighting please, thank you. I'm off to sleep now." Kakashi fainted and crashed to the floor.

"Was it something we said?" Gai and Tsune said at the same time.

Kakashi mind awoke to annoyed, frustrated, and accusing voices. One of the voices, though, was sad. He couldn't decipher who was saying what at first, but he did quickly. It was a good thing too, because there was a lot to hear. Sakura, Sasuke, and Naruto were yelling at Tsune for letting Kakashi faint for whatever reason he did. Tsune was trying to say that she had nothing to do with it, but they didn't believe her.

"I'm telling the truth, I didn't do anything!" Tsune yelled through tears. If these people were Kakashi's students, she never wanted to see them again. She'd have to run away.

"Whatever, you're lying. Kakashi doesn't faint for no reason at all. There's always a reason. You and Gai happened to be with him at the time and he's never fainted with Gai around before." Sakura reasoned.

"On top of that, Kakashi-sensei is too strong for that. Nothing a guy like Gai could do would ever make him faint. You had to do something!" Naruto accused. This brought on more tears from Tsune.

"I'm telling you for the last time, I didn't do **anything**!" Tsune's voice changed on her last word. She had had enough of this. If they were going to accuse her, they could've at least had good facts.

"What was that?" Sasuke asked, suspicious now.

"Nothing. I'm tired of telling you idiots the same thing over and over again. If you don't get it the first time, the second time, and the third time, you won't get it any other time. We're been going over the same stupid thing for a whole day now, and you know what? **I've had it**!" Tsune's crashed through the window and ran like a madwoman. The three Chunin thought the same thing, _good riddance._

Sasuke was the first to notice that Kakashi was stirring. "Look, he's up." Sakura fell all over him, babbling on how worried she was, what could've happened, etc. Naruto just smiled. Kakashi, on the other hand, glared at the three of them. They had no idea what that girl went through on a daily basis. Naruto didn't even have an idea, and he himself was a demon carrier.

"What?" Naruto asked, utterly confused. "We got rid of that brat for you, so there's nothing to be mad about…"

Kakashi stood and punched the wall as light as possible, which did leave a hole he'd have to pay for later on. Sakura jumped a bit, Sasuke looked unfazed but worried, and Naruto was having a cow. "Do you have any idea what that girl goes through? What pain she has to endure?" Kakashi was speaking through clenched teeth.

"Uh, no. What pain are you talking about Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto asked.

Kakashi sighed and relaxed. "I'm surprised you of all people don't know Naruto. Did any of you ever sense a deep chakra lying within her, no. Something that didn't seem human, let alone from her dimension? No."

Sakura tried to gain their defense. "We know she has the demon in her, Tsunade told us."

Kakashi once again clenched his teeth. "But did you know that on the daily that demon overtakes her body and constantly tries to kill her? Did you? No. How did I find out, you ask? I found out by accident. If I hadn't come in at the right time, she'd be dead by now.

"Naruto and Sasuke, I'm most disappointed in you. Naruto, you yourself have the nine tails within you. Sasuke, you should be able to see any chakra, human or demon. Sakura, don't think you are off the hook either. You are the best in chakra control and detection, so you should have noticed something. You are all despicable."

Naruto hung his head down low. Of all the people in the world, he should be able to understand her situation the most. She was never rejected by the people around her, but she was rejected by the demon inside of her. It doesn't want to help her and it doesn't want to stay caged up. Sasuke looked out the window. It was true that he had slacked off on his chakra training for a bit, but he didn't know he had gotten that bad. Sakura had vowed not to judge people again, but she had done the exact opposite.

Kakashi continued on, "I bet at this very moment she is transforming and struggling to hold on to life. I suggest you idiots find out where she is and stop her at all costs. Knock her out if you have to, but stop her. If that demon succeeds in killing her, we're all as good as dead." He leapt out the broken window in search of Tsune. The three Chunin followed suit, melancholy troubling their hearts.

Sakura looked all over for Tsune. She looked in the market, the inns, and the training grounds. She looked where people populated immensely. That would be unexpected from a demon and so she would look there first. She asked several people if they had seen someone with Tsune's looks. No one had. She gave up the search and returned to Kakashi's apartment, waiting for the others.

Naruto looked around in all of his favorite places. Ichiraku, the Hokage Mountains, and anyplace that sold ramen. The demon inside of her would go where the person goes on the daily, for that is what is expected of it. He asked several people if they had seen someone with Tsune's looks. No one had. He kept looking hours on end, vowing to find her.

Sasuke looked in all of the places Tsune might like. The mall, the river, the bridge, anyplace that looked like home for her. The demon would go where Tsune would love to go, as it was unexpected of it. He ran into Naruto on his way to Kakashi's house. Neither had heard anything. They met up with Sakura at Kakashi's house, all three disappointed with themselves. It was all up to Kakashi-sensei now.

Kakashi went to the one place expected of the demon, the forest. He yelled out Tsune's name for hours, hoping and wishing she wasn't dead. He heard a faint whimper and a yelp. Cries for help could be heard, along with sobbing. He ran as fast as his legs could take him towards that sound. He came to a sobbing Tsune being attacked by a Bunshin, or what looked like one.

"Look, I know you hate to have to be inside me, but please tell me why you must kill me?!" Tsune asked as a kunai was stabbed through her arm.

"**If you seriously don't know, then you need to ask that Jonin friend of yours. He knows; he's been keeping it from you. I'm not a part of you Tsune-baka. I'm a demon and the only way for me to get out is to kill you!**" The Bunshin started beating up Tsune with such force that her left arm broke along with a few ribs.

"Why me? Why does these things always happen to me" Tsune cried out while enduring the pain. She eventually fell semiconscious. She numbly felt someone hold her close and kiss her on the forehead.

"It'll be alright, it's over now. I'll find a way to keep you safe from that thing, but please don't die on me Tsune. The world needs you." She couldn't recognize the voice, but it relaxed her. She imagined that it was her father finally telling her she was needed. All of a sudden a fierce pain erupted in her head. She screamed out in agony and cried. The person was crying her out name, but she couldn't hear it. It was distant and fading fast. The last thing she heard was her name.

31


	2. Loved and Lost

Sakura stood up as soon as Kakashi came in, exhausted. Sasuke took Tsune from him while Naruto gave him the tea her made. Kakashi told him what he overheard and the truth, about everything. The Chunin listened intently, hoping to find a way to help the girl.

"I don't know what's going to happen to her, or what's happening to her at all. I'll ask Tsunade in the morning when Tsune wakes up. For now, I need you all to watch over her. I need to go…" Kakashi stood and walked out the door. His former students knew that he was going to see Obito.

"Hn, Kashi…" Tsune mumbled.

"Alright, Sasuke, I'm going to need you to go to my house and get several medicinal herbs. I need to create a balm for these cuts and bruises, fix up her arm, and something to wake her up." Sakura went into doctor mode.

"What?" Sasuke asked.

"I'll go. Idiot…" Naruto murmured over to Sasuke. He dashed out the house. He came back in less than ten minutes. Sakura made the balm and the drink for her ails. After putting Tsune's arm in a sling, Sakura sighed and relaxed.

"It's over. She'll be awake by tomorrow morning." Sasuke, Sakura, and Naruto leaned against the couch and fell asleep. They all were holding Tsune in a sort of group hug, protecting her in case she transformed. It had been a long day and no one wanted to have to deal with Tsune if she transformed, but they would. Who knew the extent of her injuries? They had to wait till morning to know for sure.

Kakashi came in and looked around for Tsune and his former pupils. He found Sakura, Sasuke, and Naruto all passed out against the couch. In their arms was a small baby girl. She was sucking her thumb and was whimpering for her father. Kakashi pulled her up from his former pupils arms and looked her over. If he didn't know better she looked just like…

"Tsune?" Kakashi whispered.

The baby girl opened her eyes and her lip started trembling. Kakashi shushed her and looked around for something he could substitute for a bottle. He found nothing and instead had the baby girl lick at milk dripping from his fingers. He almost giggled out loud when the soft tongue touched his finger for the first time. He made sure no one heard and continued the feeding. When the baby girl turned her head when she was full, Kakashi got a good look at her.

She was a genuine baby. Her chubby cheeks had that rosy kind of baby glow that made you smile. Her hair was dark and soft. When she smiled up at him, it made him want to grin. Her moss green eyes was bursting with excitement and curiosity. _Maybe this was how Tsune was before her parents shoved her into what she is now…_He went over what he just thought. This couldn't be Tsune, could it?

"Tsune?" Kakashi called out. The baby clapped her hands and grinned. "Great, it is Tsune…"

The baby smiled up at him and Kakashi couldn't help but smile. He tickled her stomach and she giggled the most adorable giggle ever. He sighed and hugged her. This girl was going to be troublesome, as Shikamaru would say, and something had to be done. He stood and left the babe in Sakura's arms. Kakashi went out the door yet again to buy supplies for a baby. He had no idea what to get, so he stopped by Anko's house. She helped him out, though strangely not asking questions. He was so in for it when he got home though…

Sakura awoke to a baby crying. Sasuke had awoken long before her and was trying to soothe the baby. Naruto was knocked out on the couch, drooling all over it.

"Sasuke, what's with the baby?" Sakura asked, yawning and stretching. Sasuke glared at her.

"Did you not think she would have an allergic reaction? How do you grow the most common of your herbs?" Sasuke was still trying to shush the baby.

"Erm, by using my chakra. Was that a bad thing? Oh my gosh, it is! She's allergic to my chakra! EEK!" Sakura ran around the room shouting "EEK!" enough to annoy Sasuke.

"Enough! Just, I dunno, try and ask Tsunade-sama about this." Sasuke had finally gotten the baby to be quiet.

Naruto awoke and clumsily crashed into Sasuke on his way to the bathroom. Ignorant as Naruto is, he just kept on going. Sasuke crashed to the ground and told Sakura to catch the baby. Sakura ran over and waited for the baby to drop from the ceiling, but she never did. She crawled around up there, smiled, giggled, and let drool fall onto Sasuke's head.

"Yuck." He moaned as he wiped off the slime. "How is she doing that? Tsune never showed signs of being able to do that…"

"You forget that Tsune is a mighty ninja. She showed signs of having chakra before we even knew her." A voice ominously said.

Sakura knew that voice from anywhere. "Kakashi-sensei! What happened to Tsune?" Sasuke sighed.

"I thought we went over this Sakura!" Sasuke yelled. Tsune looked down at him and studied his face. He looked too angry and hurt, so she herself felt angry and hurt. She began to wail her head off, in turn falling from the ceiling.

"Tsune!" Sakura, Sasuke, and Kakashi yelled all at once. Sakura and Sasuke bumped into each other and crashed to the floor. At the last minute, Kakashi caught Tsune and crashed as well. Tsune was wailing in his ear and it was annoying him.

"Seems like you got a problem. I'm surprised Sakura's motherly instincts hasn't taken effect yet." Anko stepped into the apartment and looked at everyone. Sakura sheepishly grabbed the bags from her hands. She quickly went through and pulled out a pacifier and handed it to Kakashi. She grabbed the bottle and formula and went into the kitchen, giving the bag to Sasuke and dragging him along.

"Alrighty then…Kakashi, seems like you got everything under control. If you need me, ask Gai for help." She stepped out of doorway and quietly shut the door. Everyone could hear her laughing her head off and growing distant.

Sakura came back with the bottle and picked up Tsune. "So, Kakaii-sensei, what are we going to do now? We can't take Tsune back anytime soon and we have no idea when the transformation will wear off, let alone how it happened…"

Sasuke slapped his forehead and decided to leave it alone. If Sakura was going to have short-term memory loss for a bit, she could if she wanted to. "Before I go mad, we need to decide what to do with the brat. I'm not trying to baby-sit for the rest of my ninja career…"

Kakashi sat on the couch and thought for a moment. For once in his life, he didn't have a single clue as to what to do. He just smirked and acted as if he did. "Let's just wing it! The worst that happens is that she never changes back, right?"

"Don't even play like that!" Sasuke yelled. The three of them turned to see Naruto crawling out of the bathroom, a sickly look on his face.

"That's the last time I eat so much ramen before a tour around the building. I think all that Miso messed up my stomach. Who's the brat? Who cares? Where's Tsune?" Sasuke gave Naruto a Look. Sakura just stared at him and kept feeding the baby. Surprisingly, Naruto didn't put two and two together to make four.

Sasuke almost went mad. He sighed, took a deep breath, and sighed again. "Naruto?"

"Yes, Teme?"

Sasuke ignored that. "If I was to say that Tsune is allergic to Sakura's chakra, what would you reply back?"

Naruto lazily scratched his forehead. "Well, I dunno teme, what should I say?"

Kakashi gently took the baby Tsune from Sakura's arms and held her up in Naruto's face. "Who does this look like to you?" Naruto studied the baby for a long moment. Sasuke thought about beating the idiot into a pulp, but finally the idiot's eyes widened in realization.

"Kakashi-sensei! This cannot be Tsune! That is impossible! Completely and utterly impossible!" Naruto continued to yell about the impossibilities of a full grown female to change into a baby girl. Sakura had a vein popping out of her forehead in frustration and knocked Naruto senseless until he stopped. Kakashi gratefully nodded to Sakura, who smiled.

"Alright, we need to first figure out how to get Tsune back to her original form. We know how she got into this one. We also know that as long as she is under the age of 18, the demon won't bother her, is lying dormant, or whatever it did while she was under age." The three chunin nodded in agreement. "Now, we just need to gather a few…more…" Kakashi trailed off and looked at Tsune's eyes.

After a few minutes, Sakura started to get worried. Kakashi-sensei never trailed off like that in the middle of deciding on a plan, unless it was to execute the plan ahead of schedule. But this wasn't a battle, this was a babysitting service. Sasuke tried to take Tsune from Kakashi's arms, but he wouldn't let the girl go. It was like he was transfixed in a spell. Naruto sighed and sat down on his sensei's couch.

"He's not going anywhere anytime soon. The demon has got him now." He relaxed and put his feet up on the table.

"What? What's that supposed to mean?" Sakura shouted.

"It means that until the demon lets Kakashi go, or unless Tsune lets him go, the two of them aren't going anywhere anytime soon. We might as well clean up the messes from yesterday." Sasuke began to pick up the debris. Naruto, dozing off, lazed towards the bedroom mumbling something about making sure the bed was nicely slept in. Sakura headed towards the kitchen, worried about her sensei.

Meanwhile, Kakashi was waking up in a dark room. He tried to activate his sharingan, but it wasn't working. A soft breeze blew into his face. Kakashi sighed and followed the direction the breeze was coming from. Everywhere he walked, he saw glowing signs saying things like "Trapped" or "Redemption". Every once in awhile, he saw "Loveless" and "Beloved" etched in blood and scratches. It didn't faze him much, just worried him. This was the mind of Takatsu Tsune?

"Kashi-kun!"

Kakashi turned his head to be tackled by a grown woman. She had dark hair, the ends a crimson color. Her eyes were a forest green color, with a twinge of red. She wore a red tube top under a black jacket, black leggings, black shorts, and black boots. On the right leg was her ninja bag and on her left, her hitai-ate. It was just blank, without a reference to any village. This woman looked familiar, but Kakashi couldn't put a name to her appearance. The woman was hugging him tightly and yelling the name Tsune started calling him over and over again, as if she had been waiting to see him for centuries.

"Who are you?" Kakashi asked. The woman pulled back, looking hurt. Suddenly, the sound of a horn rang clearly in the dimly lit room. The woman shuddered and pulled Kakashi up on his feet.

"Worry about that in the next 15 minutes. You need to get out of here before He realizes that I've found you. That was the first gate. There are 5 gates to open before he can roam freely and kill you. Let's go." The woman grabbed Kakashi's hand and he couldn't help noticing the warmth of it. He smiled and followed her quick pace. "The only way out is for you to realize who I am without me telling you right out. I can hide you for the next 15 minutes, but after that…" Kakashi guessed that by then, the 5th gate would be open and he would already be on his way to death.

Kakashi followed the woman all across the maze of Tsune's mind. As they walked along, little creatures followed alongside them. One was a cross between a cat and an eagle. The woman called it a griffin. A dragon lazily flew next to his head. A horse with a horn on its head—"That's a unicorn."—pranced behind him, ignoring the second gong that reverberated throughout the small corridor. The woman let go of his hand for a moment and opened a door. A light blinded Kakashi before he realized he was looking at the room of when he had first realized that Tsune had a demon, the waiting room of the TV show building.

"Why have you brought me here?"

"Kashi, there are things that are going to happen very soon if you do not remember who I am. He has stolen your common sense for a brief moment, but until you remember who I am, you are doomed to die here and leave your shell behind." The woman pushed the creatures and Kakashi into the room and locked the door behind them. The creatures sat around Kakashi and dissipated into an orangey gas.

"Remember!" The woman shouted. Kakashi saw a memory of him and Tsune playing in the shower.

"Remember!" She shouted again as the third gong rang out. Kakashi saw a memory of watching Tsune fight Gai.

"Remember!" She shouted again. Kakashi saw a memory of Tsune calling him Kashi.

"Hatake Kakashi, You Must REMEMBER!" She shouted as the fourth gong rang out. Kakashi felt a fierce pain in his head and he crashed to the floor. He remembered who she was, but could not get the words out. It had been fifteen minutes and the 5th gong had rung. The door swung open and he saw the demon. It was a large dragon-shaped creature, with orange and crimson scales, yellow eyes, and bloodied teeth. It snarled and appeared to smirk. As it opened its mouth to kill Kakashi in a firey blaze, the woman stood before the dragon.

"You shall not kill Hatake Kakashi, Ryu-teme!" The dragon shoved her aside and moved to kill Kaksashi again. Kakashi was nowhere to be seen. The dragon glanced everywhere into the room and growled. Kakashi was above the doorway, waiting to see if the dragon would come into the room. Instead, the woman came into the room and looked out the window of the waiting room.

"My name, Kashi?" The woman asked.

Just as the dragon blew fire into the room directly at the woman, Kakashi jumped out to rescue her and screamed out "Tsune!"

The room smelled of smoke and burnt wood. Kakashi was holding onto a small form and was coughing hard. He heard the voices of his squad and smiled to himself. He had made it out. He felt the form in his arms rise up and shake him violently, screaming for him to wake up. Kakashi would recognize that voice anywhere now. He did something totally out of character.

"Tsune! I am so glad you are safe!" Kakashi snatched the girl up into a hug and nuzzled her with his cheek. The smell of her hair was filled of smoke and citrus, but he was happy she wasn't burnt to a crisp. As the smoke cleared, Sasuke, Naruto, and Sakura was staring at him. Tsune was squirming in his arms and he hadn't moved after a few minutes.

"Kakashi-sensei….are you alright?" Naruto finally asked. Kakashi let Tsune go and smiled. He actually smiled and started laughing. Tsune scrambled away and rushed out into the bathroom. Kakashi fell onto his back, laughing about the whole situation.

"He's lost it." Sasuke stated.

"Yup." Naruto and Sakura agreed.

Kakashi wiped tears from his eyes and shook his head. Time to get back to business. "Sakura, go get Tsunade-Sama. Sasuke, I need you to go get Anko, Iruka, and Gai. Naruto, go get us some ramen." The three chunin nodded and rushed off to finish their tasks. Kakashi sighed and went to the bathroom. He knocked on the door once.

"Tsune-san, are you alright? I'm sure your parents are worried sick by now. Don't you want to go see them?" Kakashi baited her.

"No. I don't want to go see those wretched people. They are horrid and need to be locked in a room with a dragon." Tsune realized what she said and started giggling. Kakashi shook his head and opened the door. He could be a little uncharacteristic around her, for her sake. He saw her sitting on top of the sink, laughing her butt off and about to fall off. He scooped her up and, laughing along with her, tossed her onto his...no their bed. He tickled her relentlessly and hugged her tight.

"Tsune-chan?" He said, holding her close.

"Yes, Kashi-kun?"

"I saw you. The older you…"He trailed off, remembering the woman in her head.

"And?" Tsune was afraid that Kakashi might say she'll get ugly, or worse: fat.

"She was beautiful. Someone I could totally spend my…" Kakashi blushed and didn't finish.

"Spend your what?" Tsune asked. Kakashi shook his head. Tsune, annoyed, pushed him away. "Spend your what, Kashi-kun?"

"It was nothing. Come on, let's go before someone thinks 'inappropriate thoughts'." Kakashi had a shadowed look on his face and helped Tsune to her feet. He had almost let it slip. Tsune tried not to pry, but she wanted to know what Kakashi meant. She sighed and walked into a room of teachers.

"Kakaii-sensei, we got them all." Sakura proclaimed proudly. Kakashi nodded and asked for them all to sit down.

"Let me cut right to the chase. Tsune needs to return home. We can't leave her here to learn because her parents would have a fit searching for her. We also can't have her in her dimension and causing trouble and mischief now that the demon can freely come out every 15 to 30 minutes." Kakashi looked serious, so no one questioned how he knew the time range. "My solution suggestion is to have you all become private tutors to Tsune in her Dimension. I can handle her parents, but we need you to agree first. Right, Tsune-san?"

_Whatever happened to Tsune-Chan?_ " Yes, I agree. I need you guys to teach me so I can kill or at least get rid of this stupid thing!" Tsune shouted. She was determined to beat this demon before she turned 30. That was her goal and she was sticking to it. Naruto smiled as he recognized that look on Tsune's face. It was the same look he always had when he was talking about becoming Hokage: the look of determination and strength.

Anko and Gai nodded thoughtfully. "Sure, why not?" Anko shrugged. Gai agreed quickly, babbling on about youth this, youth that. Everyone tuned him out. Iruka, on the other hand, took longer to decide. He didn't know anything about this girl save for the fact she housed a demon worse than Naruto's and she needed his help. He didn't want Naruto to feel as if he was replacing him. Naruto, glancing at Iruka, grinned and winked.

"Yea, I'm in." Iruka sighed. Naruto would never change.

As quickly as the decisions of time, place, and excuses for her lessons were agreed upon, Kakashi, his squad, and Tsune left in a puff of smoke to rush back to the TV Studio.

"You don't think that we're getting to attached to her?" Iruka asked quietly of his Hokage.

Tsunade sighed. "I fear we just may be." Everyone left Kakashi's house; Tsunade locked the door, leaving a note.

Meanwhile, Tsune was gripping Kakashi's hand in a death grip as they walked down the corridor to her dimension. Kakashi tried not to wince, but in the dark he let himself have the liberty to do so. Tsune still couldn't see, but she knew Kakashi would take care of her. As they emerged out of the doorway, Tsune took a deep breath and started kissing the carpet. Sakura laughed and helped Tsune to the back lounge, where they kept the better food. Sasuke, Naruto, and Kakashi stayed in front, waiting for the sun to rise. It had only been a minute since they left her dimension. Nothing had really changed save for the constant ringing in Kakashi's ears.

It was starting to bother him. _Remember!_ He was a bit startled to hear the voice of Tsune's older self. It had to be him remembering, that's all. She couldn't talk to him for she was trapped in Tsune's mind until she came of that age. Tsune walked into the waiting room, smiling. She was in her orange hoodie and black shorts. Kakashi and Naruto had to hold tissues to their noses, but she had already seen their nosebleeds.

"I'm going to go to sleep. It's been a long…minute? Day? Whatever. I'm just going to sleep." With that, Tsune curled up on the floor and went to sleep. The Konoha Shinobi didn't know what to do. They followed her lead and went to sleep.

And so, the days and years past. Gai taught her Taijutsu, Anko taught her Genjutsu, and Iruka taught her basic ninjutsu. Kakashi reveled in the honor of teaching her more advanced jutsu while Tsunade reluctantly taught her chakra control. It took her several years to master some of it, but she did pretty well for an otherworlder. She even developed a new technique: the light technique. It was a cousin to the Nara Clan's shadow technique, but a little more complicated. Tsune grew up to be able to control the demon's chakra, to a point. Kyuubi had a reddish chakra while Ryu-teme had a sparkly orange chakra. The years went by fast and Kakashi noticed how Tsune filled out more and developed into the woman from her mind.

As for love, Tsune was the talk of the village. Every male, besides a few of the Konoha 9, was transfixed on her beauty. Sasuke even had to admit she was pretty hot. Kakashi took no notice of the talk that he was bedding her, as she was staying at his house when she was in the village. He always gave her the bed while he took the couch. All of this changed one night when there was a really bad thunderstorm.

Lightning rang out and Tsune yelped. She hated storms, especially the thunder. That just let her know how close the lightning was. She didn't want to bother Kakashi about her little fear. He was probably sound asleep on the couch, ignoring the loud claps or blinding light coming through the windows. A loud bit of thunder sounded and Tsune screamed. She hoped Kakashi hadn't heard that, but he did. He was on the couch, debating if he should go make sure she was ok. She was what…20 now? She had blossomed into the beautiful woman of her mind, but he didn't want to take advantage of someone so much younger than he was.

When she screamed again without the prompting of any thunder, he rushed into the bedroom. Her eyes had gone a crimson color, the color of when the demon was trying to take over. Kakashi rushed over to her and held her with her back against his chest. She wildly flailed about, screaming about power and revenge while whimpering for him to help her. He didn't know what to do. It seemed as if the demon was trying to come out of her before her 21st birthday. Kakashi was yelling for her to calm down, but it was useless. He did the impulsive, and looking back he would probably regret it, but he spun her around and kissed her.

All was silent, save for the thunderclaps. The demon receded and Tsune was left there, clinging onto his arms. Kakashi opened his eyes and saw Tsune looking into them with awe and confusion, but he swore he saw something else there. He couldn't place it. Finally, he pulled away. Tsune put her head on his chest and tried to make sense of what just happened. She ignored Kakashi when he tried to apologize. Why did he kiss her? Was she just looking too much into it?

"Tsune-chan, I'm sorry I did that. I didn't know what else to do. You were freaking out and the demon took that chance to try to kill you. It will never happen again. I—"

Tsune had cut him off by lightly kissing him. Kakashi, a bit confused, pulled away. Tsune was searching his eyes, hoping for him to be smiling inside about their kisses. When he made no move for more, she sighed in defeat and pushed him away. She had grown attached to Hatake Kakashi and she didn't want any heartbreak. Just as she was about to walk away, Kakashi pulled her back and kissed her more passionately. Tsune yelped in surprise, but relaxed into the kiss. She curled her arms around his neck while he pulled her closer by wrapping his arms around her waist. They kissed for what seemed like hours, stopping only to breathe and to giggle.

By the time the two were satisfied with their amount of kisses, the storm had stopped. The night returned to its normal quietness and Tsune was glad to have Kakashi holding her. "Kashi-kun?" She asked quietly.

"Yes, my Tsune-chan?" He answered with his nose in her neck. She giggled and squirmed away, but he pulled her back for more nuzzling.

"Nothing. It's nothing. Ryu-teme was telling me something that I could tell you, but I'm being forbidden to." She trailed off, giggling at his antics. Kakashi stopped to ponder what she said. It made no sense, but he felt it was important.

"Wait, what?" He asked, leaving her neck alone for but a moment.

"Natural laws forbid me from telling you. I can know because Ryu-teme knows. But you? You have to figure it out yourself." Tsune kissed him on the nose and curled up against him. He was dumbfounded, but let her sleep. He pulled her a tad bit closer and kissed her neck a bit more. She squirmed in her sleep and he tried not to chuckle too loudly. It was then that he saw the weird markings on the back of her neck. Her hoodie was always hiding it or her neck was always out of view. It was a 5 sign seal with the kanji for dragon in the middle. This was the seal that the dragon had made, but it looked off, as if only half finished. He felt a twinge of pain in the gut of his stomach.

In the morning, Kakashi left Tsune to go talk to the Hokage. He reported on the finding of the seal and left to go tell Jiraiya. It would be a bad idea if they left the seal untouched by her 21st birthday. Tsune awoke to a missing scarecrow and a bad headache. She rubbed her neck and went into the shower. As she washed her hair, now dyed crimson at the ends, she tried to remember what it was like kissing Kakashi. She hadn't planned on kissing him at all in her stays at his place, but now it seemed like she had to decide if she wanted more.

Just as she had gotten some shampoo in her eyes, she heard the crash of glass breaking. She wiped the stinging foam out of her eyes and waited to hear more noise. The intruders had to know that someone was in here, because the shower was on, but she doubted that they were experienced thieves. She left the shower running and started to step out of the bathroom when a huge burly man came rushing at her and bound her before she could realize what was going on.

"This is her right?" The man asked, tossing Tsune into the destroyed living room.

A woman stood in the middle of the disaster. She wore black boots, black shorts, a green jacket and green shirt, and a green hitai-ate around her neck. "Yes, this is her alright. Takatsu Tsune, wanted for the theft of Hatake Kakashi's heart." The woman stated matter of factly. This had to be some prank Kakashi was pulling. "Takatsu Tsune, you are wanted for the determent of Hatake Kakashi's heart away from mine. You have already met my brother, Shiki. I am—"

Just as she was about to say her name, Kakashi crashed through the front door and kicked her across the room. He did several handsigns and his famed chidori appeared, and he killed the large man. The woman stood and she, in turn, did a few handsigns of her own. "Fire Style: Fire Dragon Jutsu!" She blew a large dragon of fire out of her mouth, which was coming straight for Kakashi. He dodged out of the way and charged at the woman. He tackled her to the ground and the dragon dissipated. Tsune was dumbfounded at how quick the battle was. That woman is a weakling, she thought to herself.

"Haruhi, it is nice to see you. May I ask why you are terrorizing Tsune-chan?" Kakashi asked calmly, letting his sharingan spin slowly.

Haruhi sighed and closed her eyes. "She was taking your heart away from mine, my love. I only wish for you to return home to me and the children." She dreamily said. Tsune gagged and wrestled with her bonds. Kakashi sighed and untied her. Tsune started yelling at him about betrayal and marriages and children and kept on going for about 5 minutes before he gently put his hand over her mouth.

"Tsune, this woman is delusional. I have no children. I have married no one. I might have dated this woman over three years ago, but that was over when her brother tried to force me to marry her." He removed his hand and kissed her gently. He realized that Tsune was the one he had grown to love. Tsune was the one meant for him, despite her origins. He tried to convey that love through his kiss, but Tsune did not receive it. She was battling with her own mixed feelings. Did she love Kakashi, or was it a love of convenience? She didn't know and that bothered her. When she didn't kiss him back, Kakashi pulled back hurt and confused, but he let that go. She sighed and held his hand. Kakashi felt better, somewhat, and led them to their bedroom, after making sure Haruhi and her cronies were long gone with bruises.

In the bed, Kakashi was wondering just how in the world he had come to start this harboring this feeling of "love" with a girl 10 years his junior. He didn't care. He loved her and that was enough for him. Tsune was curled up against him, napping. That whole ordeal had really shaken her up. She stirred every few seconds, whimpering in anguish. He imagined the demon within was bothering her in her dreams. He smiled when she smiled and felt pain when she frowned. He felt so helpless not being able to comfort her in her dreamland. He quickly pulled away from her, letting a pillow replace him, and rushed out the door. He was going to get a gift. A "I love you" gift.

Kakashi prowled the gift shop for the perfect gift for his orange butterfly. This wasn't like getting a gift for his old flame, Iruka. This definitely wasn't like getting a gift for one of his old students. This was like getting a gift for the girl of his dreams. He didn't quite know what to get her. He tried to remember what she liked most and when he came up with weapons and fighting gear, he sighed in defeat and browsed the store. Just as he was about to give up completely, someone held something up in front of his face. He turned to see Sasuke scowling, trying to give him something. In his hand was a orange stuffed butterfly, but it was customized to be holding a little stuffed scarecrow. This was the perfect gift. Puzzled, he glanced at Sasuke.

"She's like a little sister to me. Don't break her heart, Kakashi-Sensei. Otherwise, I'll rip yours out and feed it to your dogs." Sasuke warned, coldly. Kakashi almost shuddered, knowing he was serious. Instead he smiled.

"I'll treat her like the princess and queen she is." Kakashi gratefully grabbed the stuffed animal and rushed home. What he saw when he got home made his heart break.

The chairs in the living room were overturned, blood on some of them. The television was broken cleanly in half. The kitchen was a disaster, broken dishes and cabinets everywhere. The table was overturned, scorch marks everywhere the eye could see. There was the smell of blood everywhere.

The little butterfly fell to the ground with a soft plop.

Kakashi rushed towards the bathroom, Tsune's safe haven from her demon. That was destroyed, the tiles broken and the sink gushing water. He heard a crash in the bedroom and he rushed inside. Just like before, Kakashi saw a Bunshin fighting the real Tsune. The real Tsune was battered and bloodied, while the clone was in perfect condition. It was wearing a smirk, its eyes a demonic scarlet. Its hands wore the gloves of Tsune's blood. The Tsune he knew and loved was breathing heavily, trying to stay standing. He didn't know what to say. He tried to go into the room, but a barrier was blocking him. He looked around to see paper seals all around the mantle.

"That's to keep you outside, you meddlesome idiot. This time, I am going to kill her." The voice that came out of the clone's mouth dripped with malice and murder. It had to have killed before. Tsune must have in her dreams, which would explain her stirrings and her frowns. Kakashi banged at the barrier as the clone slowly performed several seals.

"Tsune, wake up! Move! Defend yourself! Do something!" Kakashi shouted to no avail. It didn't even get through to her. Tsune was broken and battered and couldn't even respond. Her eyes had a dark glaze over them, her mouth dribbling blood. Kakashi started to cry, trying to get her to do something. He started ripping at the paper seals, but they were covered with something to prevent him from doing just that.

The clone was done with its seals. It smirked and laughed maniacally. "Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu." The clone opened its mouth and the famed jutsu flowed freely out of its mouth. All Kakashi could do was scream and bang on the barrier. He slid down it, a broken man. The love of his life was gone. The woman meant for him was dead. He started to cry, but then he heard the clone screeching.

"You meddlesome shinobi just don't know when to quit!"

The smoke cleared and Kakashi saw Sasuke, Naruto, and Sakura protecting Tsune. Sasuke had negated the jutsu with his own and Naruto and Sakura were looking over Tsune. Naruto glanced over at Kakashi and grinned. Kakashi wiped his eyes and yelled for them to not be distracted. The fight was nowhere near over yet. Just as he said this, the clone tackled Sasuke and was punching his face. Naruto left Sakura to take care of Tsune and rushed to kick the clone in the face. It flew back against the wall of the bedroom. It growled and it cracked its knuckles.

"That was somewhat painful, Kyuubi. You are worthy. Let us do battle." It yelled and rushed at Naruto, ignoring Sasuke. It performed hand seals and attacked Naruto with fire balls, the Phoenix Flower Jutsu. Naruto dodged them and threw shuriken and kunai. The clone deflected them with its own kunai. It threw that one and several others. Sasuke joined the fight and started attacking the clone from behind. The clone flicked blood at Sasuke, who started yelling about the burns it left and being blind. Tsune's blood had become corrosive as it was on the demonic clone. The clone performed several handsigns, unfamiliar to anyone but Kakashi. His yells were too late to their ears.

"Light Style: Light Possession Jutsu." It calmly stated.

Sasuke and Naruto paused in their tracks. Sasuke was in the middle of starting chidori and Naruto was in the middle of rasengan. Sakura was bandaging Tsune's arms. The blood flowed freely down the appendages, dripping on the ground. The clone smiled and walked leisurely between the shinobi. It kicked Sakura away and hovered over Tsune. Kakashi stared at the scene, hoping the barrier had a time limit or something so that he could break through it.

"Wonderful jutsu you have here, my dear." The clone started to change form. Its skin broke apart and glossed to become scales, its pupils turned to trenches in a yellow sea, and it grew a long tail. The demon was starting to come out of the seal. Kakashi started hitting the barrier with everything he had. He saved his chidori for later, but everything else in his arsenal he threw at it. To no avail, nothing worked. Sakura, Sasuke, and Naruto could only watch the horrible things unfold. The demon kicked Tsune in the stomach and in the head. The girl yelped and fell to the ground, groaning. Kakashi was screaming for her to wake up, but all she heard were mumbles…and that wretched voice of the demon.

"You thought you could control me, huh? You thought that if you could just become more powerful, you'd be able to bend me to your will? Not even the Great Nine Tailed Fox could defeat me. My dear cousin has gone soft, which is why I am letting him see me drink your glorious blood. I am going to let you become a hollow shell. You are going to be mine, Takatsu Tsune." The demon murmured, licking its lips.

Tsune laid there as the demon had a monologue. She had tried her hardest, right? Kakashi had tried his hardest, but it wasn't good enough. Everyone had tried their hardest, but it wasn't good enough. The demon was just too strong. Despite what the Hokage said, that thing had no weakness. Tsune was crying now, tears just rolling down the side of her face. Kakashi noticed and something in him snapped. He hit the barrier harder, harder than he's hit anything before. The barrier cracked, one of the paper seals burned into ashes. He hit it again and another one burned to nothing. There was a hole in the barrier.

Kakashi had to give it a shot before the demon noticed. "Tsune, I love you! You have to fight! You have to…" As he was about to finish, the demon had flung a kunai in Kakashi's direction and it hit. Kakashi took his last breath and fell. Sasuke couldn't believe it. His famed sensei was, dare he even think it, dead. Sakura was crying. Naruto was seething, his kyuubi chakra seeping through. The demon paid it no mind.

"Meddlesome shinobi should be dealt with promptly. Now where was I? Oh right, going to kill you and drink your blood." The demon turned, but Tsune wasn't on the ground. He turned around and his face connected with a strong punch. He went flying towards the wall and crashed through it. Tsune stood in the hole and stared down at the creature.

"You killed Kakashi. You will pay for that with your life, a life for a life." Tsune's hair had lengthened, as did her canines and nails. She looked feral. Her eyes had gone from a dark brown to a crimson color. She roared and she jumped down at the demon. The demon smirked and jumped to meet her. The two hovered in mid air for a moment before starting their battle. It was a flurry of punches and kicks. The demon was blown away, but returned by jumping off a nearby building. Tsune dodged and ran off towards the forest. The demon followed, throwing fireballs. Tsune, sensing each one, dodged them perfectly. She ran backwards and threw several kunai and disappeared. The demon kicked those away and stopped running.

"Where are you, my dear? We have business to discuss…" The demon taunted, "…like the funeral of your lover." He waited but Tsune didn't appear.

Just as he was about to move, an arm shot out from under him and dragged him into the building. He crashed down the roof and was flipped in midair. Tsune kicked him towards the floor and he crashed through to the bottom floor. The people inside screamed and ran. The demon stood, popping back in a dislocated arm, just as Tsune fell from the hole. If it wasn't for the scales and the tail, the two would look exactly alike. Tsune disappeared and reappeared and kicked the demon in the back. She did this again, but kicked the demon's side. She repeated this for just about everywhere she could land a hit. She was too fast for him. The demon tried to block her attacks, but he couldn't pinpoint where they were coming from. Finally, Tsune kicked him in the head and the demon went flying through several tables, broke through the bar, and hit the shelves holding drinks. It shook its head. This was not a battle it was winning. The time was now to break the seal.

Tsune was breathing hard, but was ready for more. A sudden pain flared up on her neck, as if someone was trying to scrape her skin away. Her hair returned to normal, as did her fangs and nails. The burning sensation only increased as she screamed. She couldn't even look to see what the demon was doing, but she felt an immense about of air pressure around her. It felt as if the world was crashing down on her.

A hand wrapped itself around her neck and the burning subsided for a moment, before returning as a milder form. She looked up to see Kakashi, smiling.

"Now you know, a little attack like that couldn't kill me." Kakashi teased. He pulled her up and hugged her, but for a moment. Sakura, Sasuke, and Naruto showed up not too much later. They all were staring at the demon. While Tsune had been struggling, the demon had been breaking the seal it had formed. It was growing in size and forming more of a 60 story tall dragon than the small thing Kakashi saw in Tsune's head.

"What are we going to do, Kakashi-sensei?" Sasuke asked. He had never faced something so large before.

"We are going to let Tsune handle this one."

It was silent for a few seconds.

"The seal is already partially broken, but that thing and Tsune is still connected. If we can get her to kill that thing—which probably means stabbing it in the head—it should be dead within as well as out here. It is not as all powerful as it wants us to believe." Kakashi explained.

"I am not doing that. I can barely stand as is." Tsune complained, but she knew he was right. She shook her head and almost took off, but Kakashi grabbed her arm.

"Come back to me, Tsune. I mean it. I can't marry you if you are dead." Kakashi whispered.

"You can't marry me if I say no either." She briefly kissed him and rushed off to run up the Dragon's tail.

Kakashi felt his lips and sighed. "Sakura, you and I will distract the demon from the front. Sasuke, you and Naruto will support Tsune but be careful. Only she can harm that thing fully. Naruto can injure it and Sasuke can hurt it, but only Tsune can really do some damage. Let's go!" He rushed off to start running towards the dragon's front, with Sakura hot on his heels. The two attacked the front legs while Sasuke and Naruto jumped up the hind legs to meet Tsune at the base of the tail. The three of them ran up its back, ignoring the feral cries it gave.

Meanwhile, Kakashi and Sakura were giving the dragon a run for its money. Kakashi was breaking through its scales and Sakura was hitting the soft tissue beneath. It was a good process, until they realized that the scales regenerated quicker than they could smash them. The dragon swatted away Sakura, who broke through several trees before coming to a stop in a far away clearing. Kakashi rushed to her aid, trying to dodge the fireballs the dragon threw at him. He shot several kunai into the mouth of the dragon, but it spit them out like watermelon seeds. Sakura was alright, but she had broken an arm. Kakashi picked her up and rushed her into hiding. He returned to stand in the clearing just as the dragon entered it.

Meanwhile, Sasuke and Naruto learned that dragon demons have minions on their backs and under their scales that fight off "viruses" that might kill the body. They were ganging up on Sasuke and Naruto was trying to reach him, but the river of minions was too thick. Tsune yelled and threw together a favorite pattern of hand seals. "Light Style: Sword of Light Jutsu!" She screamed to the heavens. A sword materialized in her hands and she sliced through some of the minions. Sasuke saw what she was doing and drew his own sword. He hadn't even thought of that. He sliced through the minions around him and around Naruto. Naruto said his thanks and the three of them made their way to the top of the dragon's head.

Kakashi looked up to see Tsune watching him from above the dragon's head. He was so proud of her. He dodged a fire ball and motioned for Sakura to follow him. The two of them dodged fireballs and moved up the forelegs of the beasts. Its minions attacked them, but they fought back. Sakura blew them away and Kakashi destroyed them with his arsenal of jutsu. Just as they were about to reach the top, they heard a scream. Kakashi looked up to see Tsune being stabbed in the chest. Sasuke was trying to kick away a bunch of minions and Naruto was tied up with a form of several minions put together. They screamed for Tsune, but she was gone now…gone for good. The large gigantic minion kicked her aside and laughed.

"This is the end of days for you all." It yelled. The dragon rose on its hind legs and the shinobi slid towards the base of the tail. As the minions melted in between the scales of the creature, they stuck their weapons into its hide, hoping they did not become loosened. The dragon roared and the whole land shook. Tsune's body slid down, trailing blood. Kakashi tried to reach her, but she was out of range.

"Tsune!" He yelled loudly, jumping for her body. The two of them slid down and as they rolled around in the dirt, the dragon took off into the air. Sakura, Sasuke, and Naruto screamed for them, but it was too late for them to jump off now without impending doom. Kakashi was crying over Tsune again. This had taken entirely too long and he had lost her. The whole thing wasn't even worth it. He'd give up a thousand of his worlds just for her to come back. A lone tear, sparkling in the evening sun, slid into her chest wound.

A bright light shone, engulfing Kakashi and Tsune's corpse. From up above, Sasuke and Naruto were watching the dragon destroy their homes. Sakura, on the other hand, was watching the bright light that they had left behind. Just as she was about to turn around, something flew out of the light, holding something. She squinted and screamed for Sasuke and Naruto. They came rushing over and Sakura was screaming at the thing. They squinted and saw something they had never expected.

Tsune had chakra wings and was flying. She was flying, holding Kakashi in her arms. This was something out of the ordinary and something she had never expected. One moment, she was in the dark walking towards a bright light and the next moment, she was in the air and holding Kakashi. The poor man was knocked out by the thrust and lift, but she couldn't leave him. So she had swooped down and grabbed him up. She settled down next to Sakura, who was cheering for her. Naruto and Sasuke couldn't believe their eyes. Their little sister, whom they had thought was dead, was standing right here before them.

"What happened?" Kakashi had asked after Sakura woke him up.

"I was dead and then your love brought me back. Love is stronger is death, but this time Kakashi, I may not be coming back. I love you…" She kissed him briefly and flew away. Kakashi screamed for her to come back but she ignored him. Tears fell from her eyes, twinkling in the twilight moon.

"She'll be back in your arms in no time." Sakura consoled the grieving man, lying through her teeth. Kakashi wiped his eyes and turned to face the resurfaced minions that were coming fast towards them.

"Alright team, let's move out. We don't have any time to waste." He charged at them, his squad behind him.

Tsune was in front of the demon, halting its rush to kill everything in sight. The demon laughed, causing the ground to shake and the air to ripple. He swatted at her, but she gracefully dodged him. The demon growled and swatted at her again, thinking she was a fly to be dealt with. He had another thing coming. Tsune drew her Light Sword and charged at the demon, who laughed and slammed his teeth behind her. Tsune shuddered as her sword shrunk down to dagger size. The light in his mouth was far and few between, but she could still see a bit. The dragon thought he had her beat, but he had proved time and time again to be foolish. She freed herself from her flesh and went up to the mind of the dragon, the same place that Kakashi had visited before.

As she ascended, she sighed. They had had the story wrong from the beginning. It was not the dragon who had sealed himself within Tsune. He had sealed Tsune within himself. He was the evidence of the seal. He lived and breathed as Tsune did. His mind was her trap, her body his puppet to control. If it had not been for Kakashi and the others, she thought, I wouldn't be here. I wouldn't be who I am. Tsune finally appeared in the demon's version of the waiting room she had first met the Hokage in. The place had changed completely. There were holes in the walls, with blood dripping out of them. A giant scorch mark was seen on the large windows. The couches and other furniture were overturned, as if used for shielding.

"Hello, my dear." She heard from behind her. Tsune twirled to see a twisted Kakashi behind her. His hair had a reddish sheen to it, with golden flecks that fought for the little light there was to sparkle in. His eyes were an atrocious yellow color with pupils that mimicked the slits of cats. He had a dark aura about him, pressuring Tsune to either bow down or die. She chose neither. She jumped away from him, never taking her eyes away for a second.

"Ryu…it is not so pleasant to see you." Tsune said, willing her chakra wings to brighten up the place. The dagger in her hand quickly changed into a lightweight long sword. The demonic Kakashi shrugged.

"I assumed you would say as much, seeing as how I have to kill you to be reborn." He sighed. He drew a sword of his own, which split into twin short swords. "I really do love you Tsune, as a daughter mind you. Unfortunately, you have to die!" He yelled, charging at her. Tsune barely blocked his attack, but she did. He was bearing down on her with all of his might, his two swords perpendicular to her long sword. She ducked and rolled, letting him hit the carpet under her. When he turned, she was swinging in a crescent, hoping to catch him. He parried and lunged with one sword while swinging the other. Tsune sidestepped the first and blocked the other. This was like a dance and she had no idea who was leading.

The dance of battles took a long time. She knew that as long as she kept this side of the demon occupied, the larger real version wouldn't attack the village but send its minions to do the dirty work. Kakashi and the others could handle that. She had let her mind wander and the demon drew a gash along her cheek. The sweat mixed with the blood and she winced for a brief moment while the demon chuckled at her. The two started the dance up again: a dance of parries and lunges. Tsune quickly wiped away sweat that threatened to swim in her eyes, but not fast enough. The demon almost successfully killed her several times, but she got her act together. She had people to save: Sasuke, the caring but quiet older brother; Naruto, the loud mouth who saved her the best cup ramen during missions; Sakura, her best friend and confidant. She thought of Kakashi. Who was he to her? She admitted she loved him silently. This version of him was all wrong and she didn't like it.

She fought with a new ferocity that worried the demon. This was not the Tsune he had observed as she slept. This must have been locked away in her own mind, in the parts he could not access or had not chosen to force open. He had made his mistake. Tsune knocked away one of his short swords. He turned his head and she ran him through. Her hair was damp against her forehead and there was blood along her arms, but it was over. The demon smiled and pulled her closer.

"When you were just a baby, I always wondered who would kill whom? Now I have my answer. I love you, my dear. The minions are yours, by the way. Sweet dreams…." The demon wasted away, pooling as ashes in front of Tsune. The battle was finally over, but the war was not. She fell to the ground as a memory that was not her own assaulted her.

_Rushing towards the nursery where they kept the newborns, I willed myself to not pass out. They had just killed my darling and our kits and I had barely had enough time to escape. Humans are incredibly stupid and I have no idea why Celeste tried to reason with them. They killed her in cold blood and drowned our babies. They couldn't even fly yet, the murderers. Cruelty at its finest. I had a plan and this plan involved a babe, a ninja, and a thousand years of willpower built up into magic and chance._

_I slipped through the crack in the doorway of the nursery. There were so many babies to choose from. Any of them would have done the trick, but only one called out to me. She was wearing a pink cap and a pink onesie. No parents were looking at her and acting foolish. She looked like she was all alone. Her dark hair curled a bit and her eyes curiously looked at me. She stared at me and I stared at her. In this dimension, only the highly acute and babies could see me. If I could have been seen by others, I would look to be about the size of a grown man in this realm and could pass as one, save for the scaly skin, the yellow eyes, and the tail. _

_We seemed to have come to the understanding of a challenge. Around this babe's 21__st__ birthday (I had a couple months give or take), I was to unseal myself and try to permanently kill this child. I could try before hand by taking over her body, but it had to be by her hand. We agreed to those terms and I sealed her within me, but using her body as a vessel for our minds. As I adjusted myself to the small space, I grew sleepy. I hadn't realized when I agreed to the plan that I would lie dormant for 18 years, but I could wait. Revenge is always sweet when carefully planned out…_

Kakashi couldn't bear this pain again. This was the second time he had lost Tsune. She wasn't responding to anything. Her chakra was depleted and her heart beat had stopped several seconds ago. There was no coming back. He believed he could only have one miracle per day and that had already been used up. The dragon had instantly turned to ashes 5 minutes ago and they had all fallen slowly to the ground. It had felt like angels had grabbed their body and were gently letting them rest back on earth. Kakashi had looked up after the fog from the ashes had settled to see a limp Tsune float down the same way they had. He squinted to see small versions of the minions they had just fought were clutching on to her. They turned to a gas, the very same he had seen before, and flowed into her ears.

Sasuke couldn't bear to watch Kakashi break down like this. The childish jealousy he had harbored before towards Tsune had long since gone, but he couldn't help but wonder what would he have done if it had been him instead of Tsune who had died? Naruto just didn't want to deal with it and had turned away from them, tears silently falling down his cheeks. Sakura could deal with it, a bit, and was trying to figure out what had happened. Nothing she had ever learned had prepared her for a person who died while in a trance. She had seen it before, but no one has been able to find out why it happened.

Kakashi was clutching Tsune's limp body against his, his tears soaking her face. When he heard a soft sputter and a complaint about impulsive shinobi, he screamed his joy and kissed Tsune with wild abandon. The girl complained loudly in between the many kisses from him and the hugs from her family, but she didn't push them away. She knew that her baby self had known this was going to happen, that she would find that family she always wanted. She also knew that the demon knew she would win out in the end. It didn't want revenge, completely; it just wanted a daughter to love like the ones he had lost. She silently said goodbye to him…but a deep laugh resonating from within her mind reassured her that his spirit wasn't too far off. _I'll always be a part of you, my dear…_

A loud bit of thunder resonated within the room. Twins, a boy and a girl, yelped and ran towards their parents' room. They cracked open the door, but another flash of flight and a rather loud clash of thunder had them racing into the bed with their Otou-san and Okaa-san. Their father chuckled and nuzzled the girl in his arms. His silvery aloof hair was standing up in all directions and his eyes held smiles as he looked at his beautiful wife. Her dark hair, the ends red, was tied back but his little boy still managed to undo it in his dash to get in her arms. She groaned and pulled him close. He was still as impatient as his mother. He had her eyes, full of life and emotion.

"Kashi-kun, why did I let you talk me into marrying you?" She quietly whispered as the twins quietly snored in their arms. The man reached over and tweaked the nose of his wife.

"Because, Tsune-chan, you love me." He said sleepily, drifting off within the next few seconds.

_That I do…_Tsune pulled her son closer, who shifted a tad bit, and joined her family in a peaceful sleep. The storm quieted into the soft pitter patter of rain.

9


End file.
